Abstract: Method and apparatus for constrained de-blocking filter are disclosed. One method receives input data related to a current block in a current picture at a video encoder side or a video bitstream corresponding to compressed data including the current block in the current picture at a video decoder side, and determines a first boundary associated with the current block, wherein the first boundary corresponds to one vertical boundary or one horizontal boundary of the current block. The method then applies de-blocking process to a reconstructed current block corresponding to the current block to result in a filtered-reconstructed current block, using a plurality of first reference samples at a same side of the first boundary, and replaces a first set of the first reference samples by one or more padding values. The method then generates a filtered decoded picture including the filtered-reconstructed current block.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of Inter prediction for video coding using Multi-hypothesis (MH) are disclosed. If an MH mode is used for the current block: at least one MH candidate is derived using reduced reference data by adjusting at least one coding-control setting; an Inter candidate list is generated, where the Inter candidate list comprises said at least one MH candidate; and current motion information associated with the current block is encoded using the Inter candidate list at the video encoder side or the current motion information associated with the current block is decoded at the video decoder side using the Merge candidate list. The coding control setting may correspond to prediction direction setting, filter tap setting, block size of reference block to be fetched, reference picture setting or motion limitation setting.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for Adaptive Loop Filter (ALF) processing of reconstructed video are disclosed. According to one implementation, a method receives reconstructed pixels of a current block and determines one or more clipping values for the ALF processing, wherein a target clipping value is always signaled at an encoder side or parsed at a decoder side even if the target clipping value is zero. The method then derives a current ALF output for the current block, wherein the current ALF output has a weighted sum of clipped differences and each of the original differences is calculated between a first reconstructed pixel at a non-center filter location and a center reconstructed pixel at a center filter location, and each of the original differences is clipped according to a corresponding clipping value to form one clipped difference. The method then provides filtered-reconstructed pixels.

Abstract: A lens module includes: a lens barrel including a annular structure, an inner annular surface surrounding the central axis and an outer annular surface opposite to and surrounding the inner annular surface, wherein the inner annular surface forms an accommodating space; an optical lens assembly and an optical filter sequentially disposed in the accommodating space from the object side to the image side; wherein the annular structure is disposed on the inner annular surface and surrounds the central axis, the annular structure includes at least two step portions and at least two bevel portions, all the step portions and the bevel portions are close to the image side, and the optical filter is disposed on the step portions; and the step portions and the bevel portions are alternately disposed along a annular path of the inner annular surface.

Abstract: Embodiments herein describe techniques for a semiconductor device including a substrate. A first capacitor includes a first top plate and a first bottom plate above the substrate. The first top plate is coupled to a first metal electrode within an inter-level dielectric (ILD) layer to access the first capacitor. A second capacitor includes a second top plate and a second bottom plate, where the second top plate is coupled to a second metal electrode within the ILD layer to access the second capacitor. The second metal electrode is disjoint from the first metal electrode. The first capacitor is accessed through the first metal electrode without accessing the second capacitor through the second metal electrode. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: According to a method for Adaptive Loop Filter (ALF) processing of reconstructed video, multiple indicators are signaled in slice at an encoder side or parsed at a decoder side, where the multiple indicators are Adaptive Parameter Set (APS) indices associated with temporal ALF filter sets for the ALF processing. A current indicator is determined from the multiple indicators, where the current indicator is used to select a current ALF filter set. Filtered-reconstructed pixels are derived for the current block by applying the current ALF filter to the current block. In another method, if the ALF processing applied at a target sample requires an outside sample on other side of a target virtual boundary from the target sample, the outside sample is replaced by a padded sample.

Abstract: Probe systems including imaging devices with objective lens isolators and related methods are disclosed herein. A probe system includes an enclosure with an enclosure volume for enclosing a substrate that includes one or more devices under test (DUTs), a testing assembly, and an imaging device. The imaging device includes an imaging device objective lens, an imaging device body, and an objective lens isolator. In examples, the probe system includes an electrical grounding assembly configured to restrict electromagnetic noise from entering the enclosure volume. In examples, methods of preparing the imaging device include assembling the imaging device such that the imaging device objective lens is at least partially electrically isolated from the imaging device body. In some examples, utilizing the probe system includes testing the one or more DUTs while restricting electrical noise from propagating from the imaging device to the substrate.

Abstract: Video encoding methods and apparatuses in a video encoding system receive an input residual signal of a current block by a shared transform circuit, apply horizontal transform and vertical transform by a shared transform circuit to generate transform coefficients, apply quantization and inverse quantization to generate recovered transform coefficients, apply inverse vertical transform and inverse horizontal transform to the recovered transform coefficients by the shared transform circuit to generate a reconstructed residual signal for the current block, and encode the current block based on quantized levels of the current block. The shared transform circuit and a coefficient buffer in the folded 4-time transform architecture reuse computation resources in each transform stage. In some embodiments of the folded 4-time transform architecture, a hierarchical design for block size grouping is implemented with fixed throughput for uniform hardware scheduling.

Abstract: A data predicting method and apparatus are provided. In the method, distances between a predicting data and multiple data groups are determined. A first machine learning model corresponding the data group having the shortest distance with the predicting data is selected from multiple machine learning models. The predicting data is predicted through the first machine learning model. Those machine learning models are trained by using different data groups, respectively.

Abstract: An evaluation method of sleep quality and a computing apparatus related to sleep quality are provided. In the evaluation method, sensing data is obtained. The sensing data is generated based on a radar echo. The sensing data is transformed into feature data. The feature data includes a statistic of a plurality of feature points on a waveform of the radar echo. Sleep quality information is determined according to the feature data. Accordingly, sleep quality may be evaluated through non-touch sensing.

Abstract: Video encoding methods and apparatuses include receiving reconstructed video samples, determining an initial clipping setting for ALF coefficients, deriving clipping setting candidates from the initial clipping setting. ALF coefficients for the initial clipping setting and the clipping setting candidates are derived by solving inverse matrices, where partial intermediate results of solving ALF coefficients are shared by two or more clipping settings. A distortion value corresponds to the derived ALF coefficients for each clipping setting is computed, and final clipping indices for final ALF coefficients are determined according to the distortion values. ALF filtering is applied to the reconstructed video samples based on the final ALF coefficients and the final clipping indices.

Abstract: Video encoding methods and apparatuses in a video encoding system receive an input residual signal of a current block by a shared transform circuit, apply horizontal transform and vertical transform by a shared transform circuit to generate transform coefficients, apply quantization and inverse quantization to generate recovered transform coefficients, apply inverse vertical transform and inverse horizontal transform to the recovered transform coefficients by the shared transform circuit to generate a reconstructed residual signal for the current block, and encode the current block based on quantized levels of the current block. The shared transform circuit and a coefficient buffer in the folded 4-time transform architecture reuse computation resources in each transform stage. In some embodiments of the folded 4-time transform architecture, a hierarchical design for block size grouping is implemented with fixed throughput for uniform hardware scheduling.

Abstract: Embodiments herein describe techniques for a semiconductor device including a substrate. A first capacitor includes a first top plate and a first bottom plate above the substrate. The first top plate is coupled to a first metal electrode within an inter-level dielectric (ILD) layer to access the first capacitor. A second capacitor includes a second top plate and a second bottom plate, where the second top plate is coupled to a second metal electrode within the ILD layer to access the second capacitor. The second metal electrode is disjoint from the first metal electrode. The first capacitor is accessed through the first metal electrode without accessing the second capacitor through the second metal electrode. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: Techniques are provided herein for forming transistor devices with reduced parasitic capacitance, such as transistors used in a memory structure. In an example, a given memory structure includes memory cells, with a given memory cell having an access device and a storage device. The access device may include, for example, a thin film transistor (TFT), and the storage device may include a capacitor. Any of the given TFTs may include a dielectric liner extending along sidewalls of the TFT. The TFT includes a recess (e.g., a dimple) that extends laterally inwards toward a midpoint of a semiconductor region of the TFT. The dielectric liner thus also pinches or otherwise extends inward. This pinched-in dielectric liner may reduce parasitic capacitance between the contacts of the TFT and the gate electrode of the TFT. The pinched-in dielectric liner may also protect the contacts from forming too deep into the semiconductor region.

Abstract: Video encoding or decoding methods and apparatuses include receiving input data associated with a current block in a current picture, determining a preload region in a reference picture shared by two or more coding configurations of affine prediction or motion compensation or by two or more affine refinement iterations, loading reference samples in the preload region, generating predictors for the current block, and encoding or decoding the current block according to the predictors. The predictors associated with the affine refinement iterations or coding configurations are generated based on some of the reference samples in the preload region.

Abstract: For each prediction candidate of a set of one or more prediction candidates of the current block, a video coder computes a matching cost between a set of reference pixels of the prediction candidate in a reference picture and a set of neighboring pixels of a current block in a current picture. The video coder identifies a subset of the reference pictures as major reference pictures based on a distribution of the prediction candidates among the reference pictures of the current picture. A bounding block is defined for each major reference picture, the bounding block encompassing at least portions of multiple sets of reference pixels for multiple prediction candidates. The video coder assigns an index to each prediction candidate based on the computed matching cost of the set of prediction candidates. A selection of a prediction candidate is signaled by using the assigned index of the selected prediction candidate.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for affine CPMV or ALF refinement are mentioned. According to this method, statistical data associated with the affine CPMV or ALF refinement are collected over a picture area. Updated parameters for the affine CPMV refinement or the ALF refinement are then derived based on the statistical data, where a process to derive the updated parameters includes performing multiplication using a reduced-precision multiplier for the statistical data. The reduced-precision multiplier truncates at least one bit of the mantissa part. In another embodiment, the process to derive the updated parameters includes performing reciprocal for the statistical data using a lookup table with (m?k)-bit input by truncating k bits from the m-bit mantissa part, and contents of the lookup table includes m-bit outputs. m and k are positive integers.

Abstract: Low-latency video coding methods and apparatuses include receiving input data associated with a current Intra slice composed of Coding Tree Units (CTU), where each CTU includes luma and chroma Coding Tree Blocks (CTBs), partitioning each CTB into non-overlapping pipeline units, and encoding or decoding the CTUs in the current Intra slices by performing processing of chroma pipeline units after beginning processing of luma pipeline units in at least one pipeline stage. Each of the pipeline units is processed by one pipeline stage after another pipeline stage, and different pipeline stages process different pipeline units simultaneously. The pipeline stage in the low-latency video coding methods and apparatuses simultaneously processes one luma pipeline unit and at least one previous chroma pipeline unit within one pipeline unit time interval.

Abstract: According to a method for Adaptive Loop Filter (ALF) processing of reconstructed video, multiple indicators are signaled in slice at an encoder side or parsed at a decoder side, where the multiple indicators are Adaptive Parameter Set (APS) indices associated with temporal ALF filter sets for the ALF processing. A current indicator is determined from the multiple indicators, where the current indicator is used to select a current ALF filter set. Filtered-reconstructed pixels are derived for the current block by applying the current ALF filter to the current block. In another method, if the ALF processing applied at a target sample requires an outside sample on other side of a target virtual boundary from the target sample, the outside sample is replaced by a padded sample.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for video coding system utilizing Rate-Distortion Optimized Quantization (RDOQ) are provided. According to one method, a rate for a level belonging to a level set of a current quantized transform coefficient is estimated for a current coefficient group (CG) based on neighboring quantized coefficients of the current quantized transform coefficient and the current CG. A best level for the current quantized transform coefficient is selected from the level set for a best RD-cost. In another method, a TB is partitioned into M regions and M best regions are derived for the M regions according to RDOQ. At least two alternative region RD-costs are generated for each of the M best regions based on a relative position between each of the M best regions and a last significant region in the TB. TB RD-cost for the TB is selected according a last non-zero best region position.